The Dyeing Binge

For a long time, I wanted to try the hot pour dye method from the Twisted Sisters book but just never seemed to get around to just doing it. Monday, I carded up 8 batts which was the remaining bit from some romney fleece I had for years and decided to dye on Tuesday and see how that went. Since I had 2 shallow pots but batts and not rovings like the directions showed, I rolled the batts lengthwise, tightly around a dowel rod and rolled the edge of that a little to keep it together. When I pulled out the dowel rod, it did hold together solidly. I could zigzag 2 of these in a pot just like roving. I made my vinegar water and stock solutions and was off! After the first batch, I decided it was really fun so I dug out another fleece and started carding so that I could do it again the next day. So every day this week, I got 8 batts carded and dyed, except today when I did 13 batts but that finished up the fleece and now I can clean up the kitchen for the weekend.

Some of the batts are more pleasing color schemes to me than others but even the brighter ones that I don't like as well will be nice plied with gray or another darker color. Some of these can be used in tapestries and some will go into woven purses and a few might end up in socks. I wish I had a digital camera to show you the huge stack of colorful batts but I'll take a photo on the regular camera so someday, it will appear here. The dyeing was fun and quick but I can't believe that I carded more than a whole fleece in one week. With all these pretty colors, the spinning will be so fun.

I tend to be a binge dyer and do a lot for several days and then none for months. It probably has to do with pulling out the mess and then once it is out, I just keep going. It's easier to have the system down and do a lot at once.